CHARON, FERRYMAN OF HADES AND CERBERUS, HOUND OF THE UNDERWORLD - #BLOGCHATTERA2Z2026
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Charon is known as the Ferryman of Hades (the Underworld)
whose duty was to carry the souls of the dead after they had completed their
funeral rites across the Acheron and Styx, the rivers that were a boundary between
the living and the dead worlds. Legend goes that those souls who could not pay
the fee, or had not received their funeral rites, would have to wander along
the shores of the Styx for a hundred years before they could cross the river.
Charon was the son of Erebus and Nyx (Night). He was often
depicted as a rough Athenian seaman dressed in a foul reddish-brown garb, haggard
cheeks and an unkempt beard. Dante referred to him in his Divine Comedy as having
“eyes of fire”. He held his ferryman’s pole or oar in his right hand and used his left hand to receive the souls that he needed to ferry. Charon is not evil,
just gloomy, which was not surprising given the atmosphere in the Underworld. His
cloak was adorned with the stars and the moon which symbolise night and day, the
torch on it depicting wonder and light and Charon himself was looked upon as the
guide to the soul.
It is believed that when a person died on earth, one obol/
obolos (a coin) was placed on the lips of the corpse before burial. This was
the payment or bribe that was offered to Charon for his ferryman services.
Speaking of Hades, Cerberus was the hound of the
Underworld, the offspring of monsters Echidna and Typhon. He was depicted as
possessing three heads on long worm-like necks, a serpent’s tail and lion
claws. He was a fierce watchdog, loyal to his master, Hades, and it is said
that his fearsome howl sent a shiver down the spines of the living, warning
them not to enter the Underworld.
The myth of Cerberus comes into prominence when Hercules,
the strongest Greek hero, was set twelve supposedly impossible tasks (labours)
by King Eurystheus, the last one being to bring Cerberus back to the world from
Hades. Hercules entered the Underworld and asked for permission from the Lord
of the Underworld, Hades, to borrow Cerberus to fulfil his task. Hades agreed
on the condition that Hercules would overpower the hound without the use of his
weapons (“without shield or iron”).
Hercules acceded to the condition. Using his lion-skin as
a shield, and a wooden club, he squeezed the head of the hound till he turned
submissive. He then chained him, and led him to the edge of the Underworld. At
the sight of daylight, Cerberus reacted violently and struggled till he was
dragged out by Hercules. Once back on earth, Hercules paraded Cerberus through the
streets of Greece as people quailed at the sight of the fearsome hound.
Another myth that mentions Cerberus is that of Orpheus,
the wonderful musician, who went down to Hades to bring back his beloved wife,
Eurydice. When he encountered Cerberus, he played on his lyre so beautifully
that the hound was lulled to sleep, and Orpheus was able to cross into Hades.
The concept that Cerberus reveals is that of death being final
and inevitable, an inescapable truth. A Cerberus personality is also one who is
steadfast and loyal, the epitome of vigilance, just like the Hound of Hades who
sits at the gates of the Underworld, a devoted sentinel, and a faithful acolyte
of Hades himself.
Trivia: Phonetic Pronunciation: Charon - /ˈkeə.rən/; Cerberus - /ˈsəːbərəs
Charon’s Quest by Eva Pohler
Cerberus The Dog of Hades by Maurice Bloomfield
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